by Codi Gary
“I have never teased you!” she hollered, nearly busting his eardrums.
“Really? Because I remember a black cat costume ten years ago, and you rubbing your body all over mine, trying to score some drinks.”
“I was not rubbing my body all over you, and I wasn’t looking to score alcohol. If I’d wanted to drink, I’d have gone to a party, where I wouldn’t have had to use a fake ID or deal with a colossal jerk!”
“Then why did you sneak into Bucks that night?” he asked.
He waited for her to answer, taking in her deep, crimson blush and shifty eyes.
“Gracie Lou?”
“Okay, fine, you want to know? I may have had a little crush on you. It was no big deal, and besides, it was ten years ago. I got over it really quick anyway once I realized what a ginormous ass hat you are.”
He took a step towards her, his blood pumping head through his veins. “So, you got all dressed up and broke the law just to see me?” He grinned at her wickedly. “I’m flattered.”
“Oh, God, don’t be. Really. I learned my lesson, and now, I revile you.”
“Do you?” He took another step towards her, and ran the tips of his fingers from her bare shoulder to her wrist. Goosebumps popped up along her skin and her lips parted, a soft breath escaping.
“Would it surprise you if I told you that reviling you is the last thing on my mind?”
Her hands came up, splaying against his chest and he thought she was going to push him away, but they just lay there.
“That’s because you’re a guy. You’ll tap pretty much anything with breasts, even if you don’t like the woman beneath.”
“Not true. I would not tap Mrs. Andrews, ever.”
She made a disgusted face even as she laughed. “Ugh, thanks for those nightmares.”
Eric reached up and traced her smiling lips. “I think that is the first time you’ve ever laughed just for me.”
“I laugh at you all the time,” she said, but her words lacked their normal bite.
“Maybe, but you aren’t laughing at me now.” He dipped his head, rubbing his nose gently against hers.
“No, I’m not.”
Eric brushed her lips with his softly, pulling back briefly only to have her chase him, her hands spreading up to grip his shoulders.
It was all the encouragement he needed, and then he wasn’t thinking, he was just taking. Doing exactly what he wanted, what he’d been dreaming about for years and damn if reality wasn’t way better than fantasy. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up so he had a better angle, slanting his mouth over hers and thrusting his tongue inside.
He had her pinned against the wall, her arms around his shoulders, their bodies molded together.
His lips left hers and he trailed soft, feathery kisses against her neck. Teasing, he breathed against her skin. “I’m still waiting for some of that dirty talk.”
It was the wrong fucking thing to say.
She stiffened against him and her arms dropped from his shoulders, her hands pushing against his chest. “Get off me.”
“Gracie, I was kidding.” He pulled back to look down at her, but her tiny face was closed off and cold.
“Get. The fuck. Off me.” She said each word with a curt, angry bark, and he did what she asked, his hands up and above his head.
“It was a joke-
“No. It was stupid. I was stupid. Because I actually let you get inside my head, but never again.” Straightening her dress, she walked over to the door and pulled on the handle.
And twisted. And yanked some more.
“Did you lock us in here?” she screamed.
Eric shook his head and tried the knob. It was definitely locked.
“Believe me, this was not part of the plan.”
“I don’t care what your plan was. Just get me out of here. Now.”
Eric pounded on the door with one fist. Then two. “Hey! Anybody out there?”
Gracie wrapped her arms around her waist with a groan. “Oh, God. They can’t hear us because they are all dancing and listening to bad 80’s music and I am going to be locked in here with you all night.”
“Okay, relax. I’m sure there’s a tool box or something.” Eric started looking through boxes while Gracie banged and hollered on the door. “Someone will come in here at some point to find supplies or something.”
She turned with a glare. “They better for your sake. Until then, you keep your sleazy ass away from me.”
“Believe me, Gracie Lou, any desire I may have experienced is gone. It was just a fleeting moment, and now, I’m over it.”
“Good.”
“Great.”
“Fine!”
Chapter Three
Hours later, Eric sat with his back to the door of the storage room, watching Gracie sleep on sacks of flour on the ground. She had to be cold and uncomfortable, but the woman was a stubborn as a mule.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and got up. He walked over to where she was lying and shrugged out of his jacket, wrapping it around her before picking her up in his arms.
“What are you doing?” she asked sleepily.
“I’m just giving you my jacket. You looked cold.”
“Not anymore.” She snuggled against his chest, and his arms tightened around her. The last thing he wanted to do was lay her back down on the rough looking rice sacks.
Instead, he went over to the corner and sat, settling her on his lap. He left his arms around her, holding her loosely as he started humming “Carry On My Wayward Son.”
“What the hell are you humming?” she muttered.
“Kansas.”
“Stop it, I’m trying to sleep.”
Eric grinned, pretty sure she had no idea what she was saying or if she even realized who she was sleeping on.
He settled back against the wall and closed his eyes, thinking about how weird the night had gone. His goal had been to get her alone and call a truce, but oddly enough he thought this was better.
Way better.
Eric blinked his eyes hours later, realizing he’d fallen asleep when the door to the storage room opened. Katie Connors stood in the doorway, staring at them dumbly.
“Oh my, have you guys been locked in here all night?”
Gracie startled at the sound of Katie’s voice and as if realizing where she was and who was holding her, she scrambled to her feet. She practically threw his jacket at his head and snapped, “Pervert.”
“I was just trying to keep you warm.”
Katie looked horrified, while Gracie appeared ready to launch herself at him and scratch his eyes out.
Sometimes, you really need to read the room and know when to shut up.
Gracie clasped her hands into fists and angrily stomped over to the door. “Katie, can you give me a ride home?”
“Sure. Eric, do you-
At Gracie’s warning look, he shook his head. “I’m fine Katie, my car is parked down the street.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” Katie waited until he was out of the room before she closed the door, and Gracie wasted no time trying to escape.
“Gracie Lou?” he called.
She glared at him over her shoulder. “What?”
“It’s bad manners to sleep with a guy and not even buy him breakfast.”
She flashed him a feral smile. “Come by the Bean anytime and I’ll make you an egg sandwich. Extra arsenic.”
* * *
The next day, Gracie was sitting down with Gemma and Ryan for coffee, admiring Ryan’s shiny new engagement ring.
“Wow, Gregg wasted no time locking you down now that he’s got you, huh?” Gracie said.
“Well, it’s not like we haven’t been friends for years, and besides, we’re not planning on getting married for a while. Maybe July or August?” Ryan said.
“A whole six months, wow.” Gracie watched both of her friends whip their gazes towards her and sighed. “Sorry, I’m just tired.”
“Why?
Because you got locked into a room with Eric Henderson all night?” Gemma asked, innocently.
Gracie glared at her best friend. “Eat me, Gemma.”
“No, but seriously, what happened? You two…”
“God, when did you get to be so nosy?” Gracie stood up as the front door opened. “I should get back and help out. The place is starting to pick up.”
“Gemma, I think she is avoiding your questions,” Ryan said.
Gracie backed up towards the counter, facing her friends. “Not avoiding, just not quenching your thirst for gossip.”
“So gossip is okay as long as it’s not about you?” Gemma asked.
Before she could answer, Gracie bumped into something that was big, hard, and smelled really, really good. As two large hands steadied her, she bent her neck back and looked up.
Into the upside down eyes of Eric Henderson.
Twisting out of his grasp, she crossed her arms and faced him. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to get some crack with a side of arsenic.”
“Huh?” she asked.
“You compared your coffee to crack and told me you’d make me a breakfast sandwich with arsenic. I’ve come to collect on both.”
“I’m not giving you free coffee and food. Nothing happened.”
Eric covered his chest with both hands. “Oh, how you wound me.”
“If only I had a spork, I’d cut your black heart out slowly.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a tiny bundle of violence?” he asked.
“I’ll get your stuff.” Gracie walked behind the counter and grabbed her apron that read, “Kiss My Cupcakes.”
“Gracie, are you going to hold a grudge forever?”
Sarcasm oozed from every pore in her body as she leaned on the counter and gave him wide, innocent eyes. “I don’t know. We’ll see if after I die, I come back as a ghost. Pretty sure I’ll still hate you though.”
Grimly he paid for his food and coffee as she totaled him out. When she handed him his order, she said, “Feel free to never enter my shop again.”
Eric took it and leaned towards her, his eyes brimming with an unholy light.
“Gracie, you can’t get rid of me that easy. You want a war?” He lowered his voice, bringing his face within inches of hers. “You got one.”
As Gracie stood there frozen, watching him leave the shop, she silently cursed herself.
Because, for just a split second, she’d thought he’d been about to kiss her.
And to her utter humiliation, she still wasn’t completely opposed to the idea.
Chapter Four
July
Gracie walked into Buck’s Shot Bar, her green eyes scanning the crowd for her friends. Tomorrow was the Rock Canyon Independence Day Extravaganza, and Buck’s was having a five-dollar pitcher night with the purchase of an order of their Independence Fries. It was a pretty genius move, if the packed house was any indication. Most people had the day off tomorrow and obviously weren’t worried about the hangover.
Finally, Gracie spotted Gemma, Mike, Ryan, and Gregg sitting at one of the tables, and headed their way.
“Hey, guys!” Gracie flopped down in one of two empty chairs next to Mike.
“Hi,” Gemma said, looking past her towards the door. “Where’s Jake?”
Gracie’s mouth thinned. She had been expecting the question, of course. Jake Paulson had been her main squeeze for going on four months, a record for her really, and for a minute, she had actually thought he was the one.
Thank God she’d come to her senses.
“We broke up.”
“But I thought Jake was nice!”
Of course Gemma had thought Jake was nice, because he was. Too nice. He was seriously the whole package, except he was so freaking nice that Gracie had found herself doing things just to try to piss him off, to no avail. He was all about calm, open communication and Gracie had spent the last month bored to tears with him, but too embarrassed to tell her friends. She already had a reputation in town for being a man eater; once word got around that she had dumped handsome, sweet Jake Paulson, the town would be abuzz.
If Miss Know It All didn’t print it in Small Town Scandals first, the Rock Canyon Press’s new gossip column. Everyone was already addicted to it, and the woman had an uncanny ability to scoop even the veteran busy bodies. It was unnerving.
“Yeah, well, it just wasn’t going to work.” She reached out to grab a glass from the center table and pour herself a beer, when she caught a knowing glance between Gemma and Mike.
“What was that look about?”
“Nothing.” Gemma reached down for her purse and started fumbling through. Then she pulled out a twenty and handed it to Mike, who was grinning like a sinner in Vegas, Gracie understood.
Sounding more outraged than she actually was, she gave them her best crestfallen frown.
“I can’t believe you two were betting on my relationship!”
“Yes, you can. You’re just mad because I’ve gotten so good at predicting when you’re about to dump a guy,” Mike said.
Gracie’s gaze narrowed on her best friends. Gemma, she’d known since the two of them were in diapers and considered her more of a sister. While Gracie had been the extrovert, Gemma has been the level-headed bookworm, but their relationship had survived nearly thirty years.
They’d met Mike in high school, and although he was adorkable, Gracie had never felt that pull to be anything more than friends. Considering what a trouble maker she’d always been, it was a little weird that her best friends would be just like having two angels sitting on her shoulders.
If only she had the same kind of longevity in her love life that she had in her friendships.
“And how do you know that he didn’t dump me?” Gracie asked.
“Because you have that super power that renders most men blind to your faults.”
Gracie leaned over and kissed Mike’s cheek. “Aw, thanks, but I have no faults.”
“Ha!”
“Be nice, Mike,” Ryan said, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously. “She’s just picky.”
“Hey, I made you! I can destroy you!” Gracie was joking of course, although she had helped Ryan discover the confident, sexy woman she had been hiding just five months ago. Now, Ryan was engaged to Gregg, and the two of them would be celebrating their happy union in three weeks.
Gracie liked to take partial credit for that too.
“But you won’t ‘cause you love me,” Ryan said.
“Poor Eric,” Gemma said, suddenly. “He looks stressed out.”
At the mere mention of her nemesis, Gracie turned in her seat. Eric Henderson appeared worse than stressed, he looked like he was about to start making heads roll. His eyes seemed to be shooting laser beams at the customer currently ordering drinks, and Gracie had to admit, he was tall, dark and handsome enough to pull off the whole Clark Kent/Superman thing.
Mmm, another fantasy to add to the bank?
Shit. She turned her back on him, cursing herself. Ever since he had kissed her in that locked storage closet, she had been dealing with residual dreams, and yes, okay, fantasies of her own making, but they were all against her will. Sometimes, she forgot how much she hated his guts.
Especially since that kiss had almost made her throw all of her principles out the window.
“Maybe I should see if he needs some help,” Gregg said.
“What do you know about working behind a bar?” Mike asked.
“Like it takes a genius to pull a tab and fill a pitcher,” Gracie muttered.
But Mike heard her, and grinned evilly. “Then why don’t you go help? You’re sober, and besides, a hot blond behind the bar is always a help.”
Gracie considered her options. If she refused to do it, she’d spend the next hour being heckled by her friends about something going on between her and the Neanderthal bartender. If she did it, she’d have to deal with Eric and all his shit.
For whatever rea
son, her friend’s teasing was the last thing she wanted to endure tonight. Standing up, she headed towards the bar, ignoring their “Ooooohs.”
She would have her revenge on them later.
As she came around the bar and grabbed one of the black aprons off the hook, Eric did a double take. “What the hell are you doing behind the bar?”
“Coming to your rescue.” Grabbing a pitcher, she faced Michelle Winters with a smile.
“What do you want?”
“An Appletini.”
Gracie’s cocky smile slipped a little. Beer was one thing, but fancy drinks?
Setting the pitcher on the bar, she climbed up and let out a loud whistle. They whole room, including the band, stilled.
“Listen up! If you want anything besides pitchers of beer or plates of fries, get lost. Take your hoity toity ass elsewhere for the night!”
Suddenly, large hands had a hold of her ass and were pulling her down off the bar. As the music resumed, Eric glared down at Gracie and hollered, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Simplifying things.” She could still feel his warm palms gripping her hips and the touch sent her heart pounding into overdrive. Damnit, of all the guys to send her hormones through the roof, why did it have to be him?
“Driving paying customers away, is how I see it.”
Placing her hand in the middle of his chest, she pushed hard, but he didn’t budge.
“You can yell at me later. Right now, I’m actually trying to help.”
When someone shouted his name, he released her. “Do you actually know how to fill a pitcher?”
“Considering you do it, I figure it can’t be that hard.”
Chapter Five
Eric Henderson couldn’t help finding Gracie distracting; it had been that way since she was a flirty teenager trying to get one over on him.
But watching her lean across the bar to listen to customers, her cute, perky ass sticking out in a pair of painted on jeans, left him mesmerized.
Thank God the night was winding down. The place had been packed full and when his other bartender had called in, it had been just him behind the bar while Grant had watched the door. If it hadn’t been for Gracie jumping in, he would have had a lot of pissed off people instead of just a handful.
